Smyrna times., 1887-08-31
THE RAIN MAKER.

seemed perpetually ON the point of ro-
Klhollng from without the extinct fires of
the old volcano. - u
Under an arbor in the Dominican con-
vent, on the Isles des Moines, sat the good
Fathers Temple, Rosie. Bournot and
fTalze, gazing sadly out toward their Dcr-
IShihg gardens, upon which depended
Uher winter store of maize and beans and
Alurnurlng against the saints who 10
cor. ''40'i Il" 9t'C-
Inc very pumpkins have STONED
sIOWlhg, complained Pere Temple. tsand
siio ilelOns' lear, are past help, even
shOllld rain fall within an hour. y
y There is not the faintest Drornisn t],,+
in II VIII rain within twenty-four bours -
IT s[iiu fere Rosie, turning his ewes nm to
~ 1ie Dnhdlng blue vault upon which ro
~ ~ shadow of cloud appeared, "If is lo,,,
hird that the innocent must suffer tLIs
WIN the guilty. The good Lord not onIv
senus ms rain alike upon the just and the
unjust but withhOlds it equally from tbo
Inthtul servant and the inDudent tro,,.
gressOr. Who among us has failed to fnSt
ana pray, or to pay his dues of service
tHat our gardens should perish like those
of the wickedY'' i4'' 'Nose
II IS true" sighed Father Bourno+
> Inc age OF miracles seems indeed met
me SAINTS no longer show forth the po,vcr
ana glory OF God by those signal favore
WIN which they were wont to distin0,lieb
phemer." 'e' ''''S-
we nave taken it upon ourselves to
night in the forefront of the battle ar,oi,,et
heathendom," " said Father TemDIo 5io,is0
~ ana we must not complain if God
proves us by trials more severe tbor +booo
lttld upon us in our own land. rotbor
should we be melted thereby TO the oroofo,.
ierNor and vigilance, that for our sal1cs tha
IsIlhu may be delivered from total de-
structiOn." " 'o'''i VIC
While the good fathers talked TIM,
servant and protege of Fotber Froi5, 5.o
rlgldly erect behind his master. listened |
attentively. ii0'eneu
AC the close of Father Temples Dious
oulhohltlon Saat gravely advanced ond
pIaclhg himself with respectful obcien,,ro
III Ir"hG OF the monks, began to speak win.
| great earneStness
NO" oaat spoke in Il tongue unkno,.2
~ any present save his master, Father
| t"i.e' WI" hhil HNed for many years as
missionary iii the KINGDOM of linda in
GElnea, whence indeed he had but ro'
Gently returned, bringing Saat with him
| Inc other monks looked with sIlrDrise o+
| Ihe negrlllon, who, ordinarily extropcI,
wen behaved, had never before intrndei
! upon their conversation in this etro,,,,o
iashioh- Father Fraize, however. smiled
ihdulgently upon his protege. and. turn-
ing 10 ms brethren, said:
:, 5o.lIC Is really making good progress
III the French tongue. He has understood
your complaints of the droupbt onJ ,s,I0Ta I'a
oHers with your permission to bring rain !
upon your gardens at once" !
me little pagann exclaimed Father +
Iempie. Does he imagine we will nor
NIT his heather sorceries hereg'' +
GU must remember that he does not :
yet IulIy understand the difference be-
tween the ceremonies of our religion ond n
the superstitious rites of his own people ); +
tSJurhed ttI, the Pere Fraize, apOlogeticaIly. c
You know that in his country tbern NO n
professional railmakers''-
Yes yes" Interrupted Saat. this time 7
III MS difficult and imperfect French h
winch he found far too slow for important r,
communications, 'Saat's grandfather bir =
rainmaker-very much strong. Saut TOO
make rain come when you want him. y r,
lie hXed his great eyes, black and shin =,
ing as Two balls of polished jet, upon his OF
hlasUer' with an expression eager and m
earnest, which bespoke the fullest conf eT
dehce IN his ability to perform what he bl
promised. ie -
i fear you have difficult subject m
Inere' brother Fraize," said the Pere
IeilpIe' The boy plainly believes him m
self II sorcerer by birthright and sucb 10 n
the passion for the supernatural i'm tb6 70
human mind that it is doubtful whether fu
the salVatlon OF his own soul would be n m
prize sufficiently great to induce him to fe
rehnqulsh his wicked enchantments. :" 40
But it is very remarkable. the novvor na
some OF these people really seem to nos m
sess, sad Father BOurnot, diverted from, yvt
MS grievance against the saints nv tho so
remembrance Of miracles by no means
salHtly. i remember when l was preacb wl
ing Il mission at LaOmentin. two vnors ",
ago; there was negro conjurer there WHO II
predicted the death Of a woman within Fe
four days, and in effect she did die ON tho
fourth day." 0'' 'iio
Died Of fright, no doubt" returned
rather Temple. "a weak intellect and n ~,
strong imagination might very well brine -
about the fulfllment of such predic-
NO imaginatiOn-not even the stronp- m
est-however, could have detained one Of OF
The ships of NJ. le COmte dc Gennes in. elt
BOurnot ''''ei sit
'Tutl TUT you are too credulous NV ha
brother, said Father Temple. Il have COZ
never believed in that miraculous deten- no
ION, Notwithstanding the grave assevera- up
ions of the Pere Labat" ert
But it is true" affirmed Pere Rosie the
myself saw the ship lying there as if SUI
ialled last, and, moreover, the hearts and mt
ivers of the sailors who died under tbo drl
urse Of the black witch were found ne of
mpty as balloons" JuN
so they were," confirmed Father an'
3ournOt land the same black witch Du.
ould, without touching them, eat out the
earts of melons securely locked awav in cur
ne pantry, leaving the skins unbroken" pat
rather Temple responded only by a deris- lts
We laugh, but Father Fraize, who was no ui, eur
reat talker, although he too must have mn
cen some wonderful things, interposed. ing
suppose, then, " he said ''instead of so y
much fruItless discussion, which, after all s orls
ecides nothing, you let Saat make trial Iry
his powers" " cali
At the mention Of his name Saat. who aife
eemed to have relinquished hope Of his laps
Her being accepted, looked up with re- ~
ewed eagerness. viii
''No, no." quickly objected Father Tom the
lie, 1T would be sacrilege to permit such
eathenish rites within our walls.n tres
II am very doubtful whether he could VINO
acceed," remarked Father Rosie, "for cry
is helpers being undoubtedly evil spirits. iron
luld have no power to enter within con- Oh
scrated limits" bod
'YOu forget that evil spirits may enter and and
'herevcf they are made welcome - said doio
ather Temple, land to give our consent ing
nat their servant should invite them 7,
ould be nothing less than to invite them the
1rselves." 10 nj
Nevertheless, if they gave us rain, we sava
lolild be the gamers by so much, /" said hogs
athcr Fraize. inter
Say rather the losers, returned Father can
emplc, FOR rain from such source must ndii
cvitably scorch up all that is still left heav
i've, and perhaps even destroy irreparu- tract
y the fertility Of the ground sees
i am Of opinion, said Father Bournot, unbr
it'll an air Of profound reflection, "that with
Q ground having been already blessed perio
lth all the ceremonies of our holy church, stoni
} evil spirit could have power to iniure horse
and that even If rain were sent with whic
at intention, the holy water with which unco
has already been sprinkled would neu- ''Pol
llize its malignant qualities and turn
to blessing what was designed as a
rse" Co
''That appears TO me very reasonable - town